By Anita Curtis
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

In an effort to connect with residents, Highland Springs Executive Chef Travis Wick invited his diners on a kitchen tour recently.

As he opened the doors to the inner sanctum of the Highland Springs kitchen, residents expressed appreciation for the white-glove cleanliness of the stainless steel kitchen. Wick admitted he likes things spotless. “We’re having a cleaning party next week if you want to drop by,” he jokes.

Tell him what you want
Wick stays current by attending food tastings, absorbing trade publications, and meeting periodically with other Erickson chefs across the country to share ideas about and resident responses to menus. Both Wick and Director of Dining Services Chris Ciora schedule happy hour events so residents can meet with them and give feedback on the menus and services.

“It gives us a chance to meet with people personally and for them to tell us what they want,” says Wick.

After the tour he answered questions and emphasized, “If you don’t like something, send it back. Pick another item from the menu and we’ll get it for you, but don’t go away unhappy. Just tell me what you want. We make up the menus here with five entrées each evening, so you have a choice. We try to stress healthy values by using olive oil and tasty low-fat salad dressings, and we seldom fry anything. We want to keep it healthier for you,” he says, “but we do have many sauces or seasonings available if you ask for them.”

Magic man
Resident Charlotte Field, along with her husband George, complimented Wick by saying, “We both think you do an excellent job.” Fans applauded.

Wick shared that his early training after culinary school found him working long hours in restaurants and training staff for restaurant openings. But he found his niche and said he’ll never go back to the restaurant frenzy because “I love it here at Highland Springs.”